Boxing glove



Feb. 11, 1930.

w. TILL BOXING GLOVE Filed Oct. 15, 1928 Patented Feb. 11, 1930 PATENT OFFICE W. TILL, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA ZBOXING GIJ OVE Application filed October 15, 192E. Serial 'No. 312,646.

My invention relates to boxing gloves and the main object of my invention is to provide a :glove that Will afford protection to the fingers and thehand When in a clenched ,po} 3, sition; providing for such purpose a pad t'hat will be enclosed by and support the fingers when the latter are doubled into the shape of a fist.

A further object of my invention is to 11 provide a narrow pad or rib transversely of 1 the palm or hand portion of the glove and directly adjacent the padded end ofthe same so as to occupy a position immediately over the tips of the fingers of the hand enclosed 5" by such glove; such pad constituting What I have termed a finger tip grip. fTh'is ,pad may lie inside or outside the palm and may be filled with suitable material which maybe of a relatively soft or pompressive nature such as the hair commonly employedas a stuffing forthe padded portion of boxing gloves,' or

a noncompressible may be employed.

A further object of my invention is to construct the body of the glove in such manner as to providewhat may be termed a bellowsfolded-cdge at one side ofthe glove; the stufting normally employed in the 'Wall pocket oi the glove "extending around and partially over the palm portion of the same. By this may be termed a self-adjusting glove; being capable of fitting small hands and with the desired neatness and completeness of covering, and exjpansible to lit the larger hands r of personse'mploying such gloves (in sparring contests. Gloves are made in relative sizes.

only and are usually laced to the hand.

These andother features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, rele1--,

ence being had to the accompanying drawings, in inch; i

Figure 1 is a plan view ott abox ing glove, more or less cliagrannnsttic in character, an bodying features ofeonstruction forming the su feet of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view, diagram- Tflalilc an character and slightly enlarged, taken on the line fl 111, Fig. '1; i

a 3, send 5 ane sectional v'ews of the finger end ofthe glove, similar in general arrangement I am enabled to provide What 7 character to 2, illustrating the position hr of the palm and'constitutingmy improved "linger tip grip invariorus positions of the hand from a fully extended position to a partially closed position just before the hand assumes the contour and shapeof a fist;

Fig. -6 is a plan view, partly in section and more or less diagrammatic in character illustrati'n-g the internal arrangement of the Walls of the glove which make up the respective "pocket portions receiving the hand and the protective padding or stuffing.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectiol'ial View of the line VI I'VII, Fig. 6, illustrating the relatively normal position of the Walls providing the respective pockets, and

Fig. 8 is a similar sectional View illustrating certain of the Walls in the distended position assumed'when the glove is occupied by a hand larger than that accommodated by the space illustrated in Fig. 7.

As ordinarily constructed, boxing gloves comprise a pocket for receiving the fingers and a lateral pocket diagonally disposed receiving the thun'i'b such gloves beingniad-e up of a palm portion 1, split as indicated at 1 and a backing Wall usually ofa suitable textile. fabric, indicated at2. Connected to the palm portion 1 and the fabric lining 2, is a n outer covering 3, :usually ort' leather which forms, With such lining 2, a pocket for reception of the'pa'dding or stuffing employed, Which is usually matted hair. This outer covering 3 is drawn in slightly at the Wrist portion and a gauntlet part extends inwardly from the same for Wrist protection. The palm portion ,1 is split throughout its greater extent and is Wall of such pocket and attached to such palm portion being gathered as indicated at 6, in order that the relatively smooth palinsurface may be accommodated =t0 t-he extra amount of leather requiredin formingsuchjpocket,and

m the opponent but ready at the same time to clench the first immediately whenever there is an opportunity of placing a blow, whether the contest be a friendly one or otherwise. In order that the blow may be delivered with some force and to have the desired etl'cct, a

fist must be developed and the object of this invention is to facilitate the formation of the fist quickly and substantially instinctively, and at the same time provide protec- 3 tion for the fingers and the hand. Boxers possess what may be termed a sixth sense in the feel of the glove and to facilitate the formation of the fist and enhance what may be -termed the feel of the glove, I have provided 5 what I have termed a linger tip grip. This grip consists of a pad or enlargement in the torm of a rib 10, formed of the leather of the wall 1, and transversely of the palm wall and at the extreme end of the same where it joins 0 the wall constituting the outside of the pocket receiving the padding; such rib or enlargement being substantially crescent-shaped and occupying a position directly adjacent the tips and first joints of fingers so that as the d fingers are bent in the formation of a fist, the finger tips will engage this pad and continue in contact therewith as the hand is closed in the formation of a fist; such pad serving as a filling for the fist and supporting the same when striking a blow. By having the pad directly-adjacent the finger tips the latter are lIl contact with the same throughout the formation of the first and during the striking of a blow by the fist. In this way, the pad acts as a support and helps to maintain the fist in a tight condition thereby avoiding all danger of breaking the lingers, which accident is liable to occur when the lingers are I unsupported.

The pad or rib is built up from the palm section 1, and may be formed on the inside or outside 01: the palm wall. It is stuffed to form a definite enlargement and such stufling mayv be more or less resilient and'relatively compressive, as employed in the padding of the glove. Othermatcrial may be employed for I the purpose and. the stuffing may be noncompressive and substantially solid, without departing from my invention.

The pad or rib with the stufling is maintained in the raised position by a section of material, usually fabric, indicated at 11, which may be held down at the seam a connecting the outer section 3 and the palm sec tion 1, and also to the palm section by the lines of stitching indicated at b and 0. The palm section 1 and the fabric lining section are connected together by the line of stitching (Z.

Experienced boxers close their fists by starting to clench; first curling shut the tips of the fingers; then following to curl the second joint of the fingers and lastly, the knuckle joints are closed. T hese motions are carried on so quickly as to seem as one motion or action of the hands, when in reality there are three distinct actions. My finger tip grip follows and curls with the fingers and hand in each of these distinct actions until a perfect fist is made by this tensing and curling of the finger joints.

In boxing gloves as ordinarily constructed, the leather constituting the back and forming with the inner lining a pocket to receive the stufiing or padding is usually connected directly to the palm portion by lines of stitching and the textile backing for the hand pocket is caught between both edges of both sections of the leather walls so that the padding or filling lies in the pocket between these side seams and the fabric lining and the outer wall secured thereby. In constructing my improved glove I have developed what may be termed an expansible pocket for the hand by extending the palm leather and the fabric lining for the hand at one side of the glove beyond the seam e securing the outer covering .3 to the palm 1 and formin g the pocket for the padding; such extended edges of the palm section and the lining section being secured together by the line of stitching indicated at (l'.

The three sections of material are secured together at the opposite edge by the line of stitching indicated at (Z. When the glove is in the normal position, the'padding will extend around the hand on one side of the same making what may be termed a bellows-fold wall, such as indicated in the sectional view Fig. 7.

' A glove having a cross-sectional contour of this relative shape will accommodate hands which may be of normal or less than normal size and there will be no distention of the padded wall partially underlying or overlying the edge of the palms. hand is inserted, however, the inner wall will expand into the shape substantially as indicated in Fig. 8, and provide the desired fit.

In addition, the construction of the glove is materially improved by the two lines of stitching d and e, in place of one. The two separate and distinct rows of stitching divide the strain between the canvas and leather when a blow is struck. This construction enables the knuckles to follow through when a blow lands and permits the padding to take the force ofthe impact, thereby relieving the tension that would. otherwise react upon a When a larger 1 single connection for the separate edges of the full shock.

the three layers or plies of the material. The action of the bellows-fold offsets the sudden strain upon the sections of material; the leather will not burst along the edges and the knuckles cannot burst through the canvas as the stufling material is permitted to take The strain being thus relieved, fraying and pulling out along the edge of the canvas section is prevented.

I claim:

1. A boxing glove having a plurality of walls forming pockets; the pocket for the hand comprising a palm section and a lining, and an outer pocket for receiving the padding formed of said lining and an outer covering; said outer covering extending over one edge of the palm section and lining section and being secured to the palm section inwardly of its edge whereby a bellows-folded wall subjectto distention is provided.

2. A boxing-glove having a pocket for the hand comprising a palm section and a lining secured together by lines of stitching at their marginal edges, and a pocket for the padding formed by said lining and said outer coverings; said palm section, lining and outer covering being stitched togetherat their marginal edges at one side of the same and the opposite edge of said outer covering being stitched to the palm section inwardlywith respect to its connection with the edge of the lining whereby a bellows-folded Wall subject to distention is formed; the pocket between the lining and the outer covering extending partly over the edge of the hand.

3. A boxing glove having a pocket for the hand comprising a palm section of leather 'and a fabric lining; said parts being secured together by lines of stitching at their marginal edges, and a pocket for the padding formed by said fabric lining and an outer coverlng of leather; said palm sectlon, hn- 7 ing and outer covering being secured together by stitching at their marginal edges at one side of the same; the opposite edge of said outer covering being stitched to the palm section inwardly with respect to its connection with the edge of the lining fabric whereby a bellows-folded wall subject to distention is formed at one side of the glove; the pocket between the lining arid the outer coveringextending partly over the hand at the side of the same.

4. A boxing glove including a palm section, an outer covering forming the back of the glove and having its edge attached to the palm section, a lining between the palm section and back covering, a finger grip pad extending across the palm section adjacent the upper end thereof and secured at the line of attachment of the palm section to the edge of the back covering, said glove having a pocket for the fingers extending upwardly beyond the saidline of attachment.

5. A boxing glove including a palm section, an outer covering forming the back of the glove and having its edge attached to the palm section, a lining between the palm section and back covering, a finger grip pad extending across the palm section adjacent the upper end thereof and secured at the line of attachment of the palm section to the edge of the back covering, said glove having a pocket for the fingers extending upwardly beyond the said line of attachment, said pad being so disposed as to lie substantially opposite the first or outermost joint of the fingers.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification.

EDWIN W. TILL. 

